ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Florida appeals court has overturned a $213.5 million judgment awarded to the family of Maya Kowalski, who claimed Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHACH) unlawfully held her and contributed to her mother’s suicide.
A jury had initially awarded the Kowalski family more than $250 million, later reduced to $213.5 million. Their story gained national attention through the Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya, which detailed Maya’s struggle with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a severe neuropathic condition that causes extreme pain.
Maya’s treatments involving high-dose ketamine and her frequent pain complaints led hospital staff to suspect child abuse and file a report. As a result, her mother, Beata Kowalski, was barred from visiting or speaking with her daughter. Beata later died by suicide while Maya remained in the hospital’s custody.
The trial jury found the hospital liable for false imprisonment, battery, fraudulent billing, wrongful death, and emotional distress. However, in its Wednesday ruling, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal said the trial judge erred by allowing several of those claims to proceed. The court ruled that allegations of false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress should have been dismissed, among others.
Although the appellate judges acknowledged that Beata’s emotional distress might have led to her suicide, they concluded the wrongful death and related claims were invalid because the hospital acted within its legal obligations. Under Florida law, Section 39 requires medical professionals to report any suspected child abuse, granting them protection once a report is made to the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Once JHACH reported its concerns, the court said, it effectively became an agent of DCF and held no further independent responsibility for detaining Maya. “Beyond the initial detention and reporting to the department, the legislature has placed no burden on the person detaining the child; instead, it has placed the burden on the department,” the opinion stated.
As a result, the appeals court overturned the entire judgment and reversed the jury’s findings. A new trial may proceed only on limited claims where the hospital is not immune — including intentional infliction of emotional distress for Maya, as well as battery and medical negligence.
Ethen Shapiro, attorney for JHACH, told Court TV, “This opinion sends a clear and vital message to mandatory reporters in Florida and across the country that their duty to report suspicions of child abuse and, critically, their good faith participation in child protection activities remain protected. The facts and the law have always prioritized protecting children, the most vulnerable among us.”
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